Why Majors Do Not Matter

There is a Ted Talk by Kai Kight entitled “Why Majors Don’t Matter.” [You can find it on YouTube] I don’t listen to a lot of Ted Talks, but this one really struck a chord with me.

Yes, of course, if a student wants to be a nurse, they have to major in nursing at some point. Engineers usually need to major in engineering. The point of Kai’s Ted Talk is that most people do not follow a straight path in life. Very few people know, in middle school, that they want to be an XYZ, and then continue on to high school, college, and beyond to become an XYZ. Life takes twists and turns. Interests change. Life happens.

College is a time to explore one’s interests. College is a time to try things out (internships, for example). College is a time to develop soft skills. Some students declare a major immediately, others do so by the end of the sophomore year. Some struggle beyond the sophomore year. Then, after graduation, for students, the pattern of jobs and careers resemble a mosaic—and not always related to what their major was—yet life goes on, searching for their IKIGAI (their “center,” their reason for getting up every day).

But at the middle school and high school levels, there is far too much emphasis on the M word (Major). There needs to be much more emphasis on things like interests, skills, abilities, and the collegiate atmosphere where the student will flourish. Given the right atmosphere (including a helpful faculty and staff), a student will thrive, regardless of major.

Instead of asking high school students what their major is going to be and where are they going to attend, ask these questions instead:

What kinds of things would you like to study in college?

What kinds of things are you looking for in a college?

What careers have you considered?

At college fairs, when they approach a college admissions representative’s table, students need to replace the question, “Do you have a major in XYZ?” with these questions:

“How can your college help me become an XYZ?

“What kinds of opportunities in XYZ does your college offer?

“What are some of the internship opportunities you offer in XYZ?”

“I have interests in ABC, DEF, and GHI. What opportunities in these areas can your college offer me?”

These questions would begin a constructive dialogue with the admissions representative rather than a question that requires only a quick yes or no answer.

In Kai Kight’s Ted Talk, he gave some great suggestions, using a “food and cooking analogy” regarding a student’s collegiate years, and none of these have anything to do with the M word:

1. Move across the grocery aisles to find the ingredients that will make your meal unique (educational translation: don’t only take courses in one subject. You might learn something in another subject area that gives unique structure to what you end up doing with your life)

2. Re-define your ingredients (educational translation: in each course you take in your subject area, try to take away something different, a different “twist” on your subject, that will help you in your future career path)

3. Don’t give up after the first batch. Learn from your mistakes. (Educational translation: don’t be afraid to change your course. Change your subject areas if you need to…even at the graduate level, and then in your work life. You need to be happy, and sometimes you need to make big changes to help you define the path that is right for you. Wake up happy!)

It takes time for a student to discover their IKIGAI, where their passions intersect with their talents, then translate that into a purpose and a paycheck. So please look beyond the concept of just finding a major. I will end this essay with some additional words of wisdom from Kai Kight’s Ted Talk. Rather than obsessing on majors: “follow your passions,” “build your own future,” “combine your interests in A, B, And C to come up with something uniquely YOU,” “think differently,” “wake up happy in the morning,” and “do what gives you energy.”